Help me pick a Diamine Red.

[Wuddus]

I'm looking for a dark red for general use. I don't do "marking" or anything similar, and even if I was wanting something for editing notes, I would use my Amaranth. I want something deep and dark and rich that I can fill a piston filler with, and use as a general ink. I like really dark colours, and already have the Grape and Chocolate Brown, and love them both.

I've narrowed it down to a choice of four so far:

Monaco Red
Red Dragon
Crimson
Oxblood.

Looking at different writing samples online, each of these inks looks stronger or weaker candidates in different reviews. Sometimes excellent, sometimes not so much. I appreciate that paper and pen will make a difference here, but would like some feedback from those that have used them.

Crimson seems to veer quite purple at times, rather like a darker Amaranth. Oxblood almost strays from red to brown. Red Dragon sometimes looks a little "bright", and Monaco sometimes has a dull kind of powdery looking finish on some samples I've seen. Also, are there any behavioural aspects to any of these that I ought to be aware of?

Which would you say is the "must have" from these four and why?

Thanks in advance.

[Nathan Weston]

Not sure about a "must have" but my favourite true red from those is Monaco. Oxblood is really a reddish brown; Crimson is brighter and almost veers into pink territory. Monaco Red is a really rich, dark red in my experience (in an Extra-Fine Preppy, so might be even more saturated in a broader nib). Never noticed any powdery-ness with it! I haven't tried Red Dragon.

Hope that helps!

[Pterodactylus]

Personally I prefer Red Dragon.


Harley Quinn by Ptero Pterodactylus, auf Flickr

(Diamine Red Dragon)



Quote 012 by Ptero Pterodactylus, auf Flickr

Quote 008 by Ptero Pterodactylus, auf Flickr

(Jinhao 159 - M italic ..... Diamine Red Dragon)



Guess the ink by Ptero Pterodactylus, auf Flickr

(Diamine Red Dragon, Dip Nib, Pentel Waterbrush)



Show_response_220 by Ptero Pterodactylus, auf Flickr

(Waterman 12 1/2 BCHR ..... Diamine Red Dragon)

[Chrissy]

Red Dragon. No contest.

[Wuddus]

Pterodactyus, I love the artwork. You have got Red Dragon showing darker than I expected to see. I expected everything to be nearer the brightness of the cat in the hat's bow tie.

[Pterodactylus]

Pterodactyus, I love the artwork. You have got Red Dragon showing darker than I expected to see. I expected everything to be nearer the brightness of the cat in the hat's bow tie.

Thanks

The bow tie is already washed, not 100% color anymore.

[FredRydr]

Monaco Red
Red Dragon
Crimson
Oxblood

Wuddus,

You can compare yourself with a bit of searching:


You might just search Anderson's swatches for "red" and then "Diamine" within those to have all the Diamine reds juxtaposed (except Oxblood doesn't come up in the reds...or the browns).

I agree with you on the more muted reds, a tough choice between crimson and Monaco; I choose the former for writing prose. Oxblood is too dark to be "red" though I like it.

[Lady Onogaro]

I like Red Dragon, but I think any of those would be nice. I'm going to have to try Oxblood.

[Chrissy]

The comparison between the Anderson swabs seems to show Red Dragon as a lighter red. I've reviewed all of those red inks in the Ink Reviews forum, and think Red Dragon is darker than the swab suggests.

[Pterodactylus]

The comparison between the Anderson swabs seems to show Red Dragon as a lighter red. I've reviewed all of those red inks in the Ink Reviews forum, and think Red Dragon is darker than the swab suggests.

You are right Chrissy, Red Dragon does not look at all like Fred’s picture.

Don´t know what it really is, but for sure not Red Dragon.

[Wuddus]

Monaco Red
Red Dragon
Crimson
Oxblood

Wuddus,

You can compare yourself with a bit of searching:


You might just search Anderson's swatches for "red" and then "Diamine" within those to have all the Diamine reds juxtaposed (except Oxblood doesn't come up in the reds...or the browns).

I agree with you on the more muted reds, a tough choice between crimson and Monaco; I choose the former for writing prose. Oxblood is too dark to be "red" though I like it.

There's a good comparison tool at Writing Desk too, but again, not all the swatches used there seem consistent with writing samples that I've seen. That brighter representation of Red Dragon would rule it out for me straight away, but it appears nothing like Pterodactylus' artwork and writing above. It was the inconsistency of online representations that led me to ask for opinions here.

[KKay]

From the 4 you narrowed it down to, I would also choose Red Dragon. Did you try Matador? That one is a good red, I am still using a sample of it, in a xf pen.

[Wuddus]

I've not tried any yet. My fun budget has already been diverted elsewhere this month, so I'll now not be making a decision on this for a few weeks at least

[Wuddus]

I can't get a link with the options pre-selected, but using this comparison tool https://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/inkchooser.php the swatches offered seem significantly different to those posted by FredRydr above for Red Dragon and Crimson too.

[FredRydr]

It just goes to show how lighting, lenses, digital image sensors, film perhaps, and of course your own display screen and settings influence what you see. You may just have to invest in bottles of ink to see what you get unless you can visit a pen shop or pen show to sample the goods.

[Wuddus]

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm not expecting to use a huge amount of red, and one bottle will most likely last me several years, particularly as I was originally planning to get an 80ml bottle so that I can get one of the piston fillers down into it. I think I'll just grab 30ml and find something a little wider to decant it into to fill 'em up from. I'll just grab one and try it, and see how it looks with my pens and paper. If it's not quite dark enough, maybe I can nudge it in the right direction by adding a squirt of Grape.

[Chrissy]

This sheet of comparison inks is quite old now and needs updating, but it may give you an idea:

Diamine Passion Red_0007.JPG

[Wuddus]

Excellent! Many thanks, Chrissy. That's very helpful. It bumps Red Dragon back down the pecking order for me, and makes Oxblood and Crimson the two favourites.

[FredRydr]

Excellent! Many thanks, Chrissy. That's very helpful....

Yes, thanks from me too. Your comprehensive comparison sheets are worth keeping.

[Chrissy]

Excellent! Many thanks, Chrissy. That's very helpful. It bumps Red Dragon back down the pecking order for me, and makes Oxblood and Crimson the two favourites.

If you can afford to spend any time in the Ink review forum, I've probably reviewed quite a few red inks on this list, and Diamine reds are regular comparisons with each other.

I usually put Tags on my ink reviews, so they should be easily searchable.